Toy wagon and means for steering the same



NW9 fi, W45 M. s. ANDERSON TOY WAGON AND MEANS FOR STEERI NG THE SAMEFiled April 26, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet Novo 6, 1945. M. s. ANDERSON zfigpmgTOY WAGON AND MEANS FOR STEERING THE SAME Filed April 26, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 2 7% I N VEN TOR. fiW/Vffi 6:. A M068 6 av,

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOY WAGON AND MEANS FOR STEERING THE SAME Miner S. Anderson, Wabasha,Minn.

'Applieation April 26, 1944, Serial No. 532,813 Claims. (Q1. 46- -201)This invention relates to toy wagons, and is regarded as an improvementof my inventions as set forth in my Patent No. 2,334,742, dated November23, 1943, and application Serial Number 507,294, filed October 22, 1943.

An object of this invention is to produce a toy I wagon in which meansfor guiding it are associated with and actuated by a turnable membermounted on a chassis or body support, the said turnable member beingassociated with levers interposed between an axle of the toy and thesaid turnable member; the said instrumentalities being ofnovelarrangement and comprising comparatively few, "inexpensive parts whichhave proven efficient and satisfactor in use.

Withthe foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafterfmore fully set forth and claimed,

In describing the invention in detail, reference Will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming partof this application, wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and inwhich:

Figure 1 illustrates a sectional View of a toy wagon with parts'inelevation, on the line l-l of Fig. 2;

Figure 2 illustrates atop plan view thereof in neutral position;

Figure 3 illustrates'a'top plan view with the parts adjusted forchanging the direction of travel of the toy;

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of the toy wagon on the line 5--5of Fig. 1;

Figure 6 illustrates a fragmentary longitudinalsection embodying amodification;

Figure 7 illustrates the device in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 illustrates a sectional view of a toy wagon embodying a furthermodification;

Figure 9.i1lustrates a top plan view thereof;

Figure 10 illustrates a similar view with th parts in differentadjustments; and

Figure 11 illustrates a detail showing the crank for effecting thesteering operation.

In these drawings 6 denotes the chassis which may comprise a plain slabof wood or metal having a buttonhole slot 1 to receive a bearing 8, inwhich a crank 9 is rotatable, the said crank having a straight portionwhich is mounted in the bearing and an upper end which is flat and maybe formed by shaping the metal into a loop [0,

whereas the other arm of the crank is shaped to form a loop II, for apurpose to be presently explained. The turnable member I2, which mayhave various embodiments or forms, is mounted on the chassis, and apivot l3 extends through the chassis and through the turnable member andmay be anchored in a body I4, of any appropriate form, which is movablewith the turn able member, Thus, as the turnable member is moved byhand, it will change the position of a pin l-5 which extends through aslot or clearance I6 in the turnable member, and an arm I! is mounted onthe pin l5 and extends outwardly.

The arm has an elongated opening [8 into which the upper end 10 of thecrank projects and it also has an eye lBa, through which the pin [5extends so that the arm oscillates on the pin as the turnable member ismovedythere being a loose joint between these two members'in order thatwhen the turnable member is moved; the arm will serve to turn the crankin its bearing and thus move the lower arm of the crank laterally of thechassis. The loop ll of the arm receives a pin [9 projecting upwardlyfrom a plate 20, preferably of wood, which moves the axle 2| for guidingthe front wheels of the toy.- The axle and plate are mounted on thechassis through the employment of a king pin 22 extending through theseveral elements and secured thereto in appropriate manner.

The bearing 8 may be anchored in place through the employment of a metalplate 23 having spurs 24 which are embedded in the upper surface of thechassis.

While the arm [6 may comprise a plate having the slot for the receptionof the upper end in of the crank, it has been found that small metalrods can be expeditiously worked to produce the loops and the eyes ofthe lever, and the crank may likewise be formed of such rathercomparatively inexpensive material.

It is obvious that in the modification shown in Figs. 6 and '7 the partscorrespond generally to those illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusiveand, in this modified form the chassis 25, the axle 2B and plate 21 aresecured together by a king pin 28, and these parts are similar to likeparts in the form heretofore described, although the plate 21 in thismodified form has a slot 29 into which the end 30 of the crank 3|projects, the said crank having an upper looped end 32, and the saidcrank rotates or partially rotates in the bearing 33 held in placeby theplate 34. This modified construction eliminates the use of the pin onthe plate, and the construction of the lower end of the crank is changedso that as the crank rotates, its lower end moves in the slot of theplate 21 and serves to turn the axle in much the same manner as in theoperation of the construction heretofore described.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 8 to 11, 35 denotes the chassis, 36the turnable member which is mounted on the chassis through theemployment of a pivot 31, and the front end of the turnable member isrecessed in appropriate manner, as at 38, to form a clearance for theoscillation of a double crank 39; it being shown that the inner arm ofthe crank has an angularly disposed extension 40 operating in a slot 41in the turnable member. That part of the crank between the arms isrotatable in a bearing 42 which is in the nature of a sleeve embedded inan aperture of the chassis, and the said crank may. have a friction disk43 which operates on the upper surface of the sleeve. In practice ahollow rivet has been found satisfactory as a bearing in which the crankpartially rotates, although the inventor does not. wish to be limitedwith respect to the particular mounting of the said crank, The forwardarm 4 of the crank has a depending end 45 which operates in a slot 46 ofthe plate 41, which plate is attached to the axle 48, and the said axleand plate are mounted on a king pin 49 extending through the chassis andit is obvious that when the inner end of the crank is moved by theturnable member it will serve t move the front axle for guiding thefront wheels and that this simple connection affords a saving inmaterial and results in an economical assembly by which the turning ofthe body of the toy with the turnable member serves to steer the toy inits movement.

I claim:

1. A toy wagon having a suitably mounted chassis, a turnable membermounted on the chassis and having a slot in its front side, a pinverticalli disposed in the slot, an arm having an eye in which the pinis seated so that the said arm may oscillate as the turnable member ismoved, the said arm having a slot in its front end, a crank having aflat upper end projecting into the slot of the arm, means for rotatablymounting the crank in the chassis, a front axle having wheels, a platesecured to the axle to move it as the crank is oscillated, and a kingpin extending through the chassis, axle and plate, whereby the parts areheld assembled.

2. In a toy wagon, a chassis, a member mounted to turn on the chassis,an arm oscillatably mounted on the turnable member and having a slottedouter end, a crank rotatably mounted on the chassis and having a flatend fitted into the slot of the arm, the end of the crank below thechassis having a slot in its outer end, an axle and plate under thechassis, a. king pin extending through the chassis, axle and platewhereby the axle and plate are turnable on the said king pin, and a studon the plate extending through the slot of the crank, whereby movementof the crank guides the front wheels on the axle.

3. In a toy wagon, a chassis, a member mounted to turn on the chassis,an arm oscillatably mounted on the turnable member and having a slottedouter end, a crank rotatably mounted on the chassis and having a flatend fitted into the slot of the arm, the end of the crank below thechassis having an angularly disposed extension, an axle and plate underthe chassis, a king pin extending through the chassis, axle and platewhereby the axle and plate are turnable on the said king pin, the saidplate having a slot into which the extension of the crank projectswhereby movement of the crank guides the front wheels on the axle.

4. In a toy wagon, a chassis, a member mounted to turn on the chassis,an arm oscillatably mounted on the turnable member and having a slottedend, a crank rotatably mounted on the chassis and having a flat endfitted into the slot of the arm, the end of the crank below the chassisprojecting forwardly, an axle and plate secured together under thechassis, a king pin extending through the chassis, axle and platewhereby the axle and plate are turnable on said king pin, and means bywhich the forwardly extending end of the crank turns the plate forguiding the front wheels.

5. A toy wagon and means for steering the same comprising a. chassis, aturnable member mounted on the chassis, the said turnable member havinga clearance in its front end and a slot extending from the clearance tothe top of the turnable member, a crank having two arms with aninterposed straight portion mounted for partial rotation in the chassis,a plate having a slot, an axle to which the plate is secured, a king pinon which the axle and plate are partially rotatable, the said crankhaving a forward arm movable in the slot of the plate and the oppositeend of the crank movable in the clearance of the front end of theturnable member and oscillated by the said turnable member.

MINER S. ANDERSON.

